FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Indiana State Police with the Fort Wayne Post say that one of their vehicles suffered heavy damage when it was hit by a truck on I-69 Friday afternoon.
ISP officials say the cruiser was on the side of the interstate close to Union Chapel Road during a traffic stop when the pickup truck hit it.
Indiana State Police officials released the following:
This (Friday) afternoon at approximately 12:30pm, while conducting a routine traffic stop on the Union Chapel Road overpass for I-69, Allen County, a state trooper’s vehicle was struck by a passing motorist.
According to Master Trooper Chris Levitt’s preliminary investigation, Senior Trooper Ben Kirk had a vehicle stopped in the westbound left lane on the Union Chapel Road over pass, which lies between two round about intersections. At the time of the crash Trooper Kirk was out of his vehicle standing along the passenger side of the violator’s car speaking with that driver. All red/blue emergency lighting on Kirk’s patrol car was displayed and operating properly.
A passing 2017 Dodge Ram pickup truck operated by Jerry Fulk, 63, of Fort Wayne, failed to yield while passing the traffic stop and crashed into the passenger rear side of the Dodge Charger patrol car.
Fortunately, Trooper Kirk and the other involved driver were not injured, and there was no collateral damage to the other stopped vehicle . The crash resulted in heavy damage to both the patrol car and to the pickup truck. Neither alcohol nor drugs were suspected as having contributed to this crash.
Mr. Fulk was issued a citation for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle under Indiana’s Mover Over or Slow Down law. In Indiana all motorists are required to yield to emergency vehicles working on the sides of our Hoosier roadways when emergency lighting is displayed to avoid collision, either by reducing speed or changing lanes (when able to do so).
Master Trooper Levitt was assisted at the scene by several Fort Wayne Post troopers and Parker’s Wrecker Service.
